Student Who Tried to Steal American Airlines Jet Just Wanted to Go Home

The Florida Institute of Technology student who is accused of trying to steal an American Airlines jet at Orlando Melbourne International Airport last month will be “deported to Trinidad, placed on America’s “no-fly” list, and barred from returning to the United States,” according to a story in Florida Today.

The student, Nishal Sankat, pleaded guilty to burglary to a conveyance, a third-degree felony in a plea deal while the charges of trespassing and grand theft were dropped, the report said.

Sankat was sentenced to 12 days which amounted to time already served at the Brevard County Jail Complex. He was also fined $909 which is meant to cover the cost of the Melbourne Airport Police Department investigation.

“The plea was part of an agreement reached after an extensive investigation by Melbourne Police, Melbourne Airport Police, Joint Terrorism Task Force, and the FBI found Sankat acted alone and was suffering from depression and mental health issues when he boarded the American Airlines jet on Sept. 20, 2018,” the State Attorney’s Office wrote in a news release. It was reported that he just wanted to go home. The 22-year-old senior was studying aviation management.

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